Bengals’ defense will have to finish the year without one of their youngest contributors following Zac Taylor’s announcement
Cincinnati’s latest injury now opens the door for two players to play more often.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. has played his last snap of the 2025 season.
Head coach Zac Taylor revealed Jenkins will be placed on the Reserve/Injured list with an ankle injury he suffered in Week 15’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The move will take him out of the last three games of the year.
Jenkins, Cincinnati’s second-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, has been a key piece to the Bengals’ defensive line rotation. The 24-year old has played 497 snaps in 14 games this year, which ranks fifth among d-linemen and third for interior players.
Going on I.R. at this point in the season is significant as players must miss a minimum of four games after being designated for the list, and with Cincinnati eliminated from playoff contention with three games to go, Jenkins will not be able to return in time. This means a couple other DTs on the roster will be thrusted into the spotlight for the final 12 quarters of the season.
Bengals can now learn more about their defensive tackle depth
Jenkins was the clear third DT in the position’s rotation behind starters B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton Jr., so who’s set to fill his shoes for the rest of the season? That falls on McKinnley Jackson and Jordan Jefferson.
McKinnley Jackson
Jackson has had a topsy-turvy year. The second-year player was a non-factor in the first half of the season as he was only active for a couple games. He even requested a trade right before the trade deadline. Since the Week 10 bye, he’s played in all five games with the majority of his snaps coming at the nose tackle position.
The Bengals would need to play Jackson for 60 snaps a game in their final three games for him to match his rookie snap count from 2024. He’s not going to reach that, but Jenkins’ shoes need filling, it’s a good opportunity to see how he fares playing more as a 3-technique instead of being shaded against the center.
Jordan Jefferson
With Jackson seemingly as the next-man-up, Jefferson falls right behind him as a true backup NT to Slaton. He was claimed off waivers in Week 5 but has just one in-game appearance in which he played 12 snaps in Week 9.
Cincinnati has rarely needed all five of its DTs to play this year as the position has experienced quality health for most of the year. Jenkins’ injury now opens the door for both Jackson and Jefferson to get on the field and show what they can bring to the table entering 2026.